The Culinary Medicine Program offers free hands-on cooking classes, open to the public, and geared towards all community members. In all of our courses, participants will learn to cook healthy, delicious recipes and learn basic nutrition concepts such as building a healthy meal, eating on a budget, meal planning, and how to use leftovers. They teach concepts based on Mediterranean Diet principles. Class members prepare different recipes each week and learn how to make terrific, delicious food that just happens to be good for you!
We are proud to offer both virtual and in-person community courses in the Seva Teaching Kitchen! The Seva Teaching Kitchen is located at 1810 K Street NW Washington, DC. All of our community courses will run for six or seven weeks, at the same time each week:
Virtual Courses: These are held via Zoom. Participants and instructors cook in their own kitchen, live, together, via Zoom.
Fully In-Person Courses: All sessions of each community course will be held live, in-person at our Seva teaching kitchen.
The Community Course is geared towards members of the community who are interested in applying nutrition and cooking skills to improve their own health. If you are a medical professional interested in applying these principles to your patient care, please see more tailored offerings at this link: CME OFFERINGS
Schedule of Classes
Our courses begin continuously throughout the year. See the charts below to find a class that fits into your schedule. Then, complete the interest form at the bottom of the page. We will contact you to confirm your spot in an upcoming course.
Our Spring 2025 classes are in progress, and Fall/Winter 2025 course scheduling is complete! We would love to welcome you to a virtual course! Our in-person course offerings are on hold due to staffing capacity. Virtual courses are ongoing.
Schedule of Current/Future Courses for 2025
Beginner Virtual course: All sessions from your home via Zoom
| Lesson |
Adult Community Beginner Series | Saturdays 10:00-12:30 pm EDT |
| Orientation | Gain Access to Culinary Medicine Software, learn to navigate to find recipes, lessons. We do not cook this day. T COOK THIS DAY |
September 6 |
| Lesson 1 | Mediterranean Diet, Introduction to Cooking and Reading Recipes | September 13 |
| Lesson 2 | Macronutrients, Mediterranean Diet: Dairy, Breakfast and Understanding Nutrition Labels | September 20 |
| Lesson 3 | Mediterranean Diet: Vegetables, Portion Sizes and Lunch | September 27 |
| Lesson 4 | Mediterranean Diet: Legumes, Good Shopping Habits and Delectable Dinners | October 4 |
| Lesson 5 | Carbohydrates, Mediterranean Diet: Fruits and Nuts, Snacking and Desserts, Sweeteners and Rethink Your Drink | October 11 |
| Lesson 6 | Mediterranean Diet: Fats and Cholesterol | October 18 |
Beginner Virtual course: All sessions from your home via Zoom
| Lesson |
Adult Community Beginner Series | Saturdays 10:00-12:30 pm EDT |
| Orientation | Gain Access to Culinary Medicine Software, learn to navigate to find recipes, lessons. We do not cook this day. T COOK THIS DAY |
October 25 |
| Lesson 1 | Mediterranean Diet, Introduction to Cooking and Reading Recipes | November 1 |
| Lesson 2 | Macronutrients, Mediterranean Diet: Dairy, Breakfast and Understanding Nutrition Labels | November 8 |
| Lesson 3 | Mediterranean Diet: Vegetables, Portion Sizes and Lunch | November 15 |
| Lesson 4 | Mediterranean Diet: Legumes, Good Shopping Habits and Delectable Dinners | November 22 |
| Lesson 5 | Carbohydrates, Mediterranean Diet: Fruits and Nuts, Snacking and Desserts, Sweeteners and Rethink Your Drink | December 6 (skip November 29) |
| Lesson 6 | Mediterranean Diet: Fats and Cholesterol | December 13 |
SAMPLE Beginner Intermediate In-Person course: All sessions live at Seva Teaching Kitchen
| Lesson |
Adult Community Intermediate Series | Sample: Mondays 5:30 - 7:30 pm EDT |
| Lesson 7: In person | Whole Grains, Carbohydrates Review, Hydration, Soups & Casseroles and One Pot Cooking | Sample |
| Lesson 8: In person | Protein Review, Grilling, Broiling, Rubs, Brines, and Marinades | Sample |
| Lesson 9: In person | Fats Review, Fish & Seafood, Blanching, Steaming, and Poaching | Sample |
| Lesson 10: In person | Potassium & Sodium, Flavor Building, Sauces, and Advanced Knife Skills | Sample |
| Lesson 11: In person | Braising, Stewing, Alcohol, Mindfulness, and Goal Setting | Sample |
| Lesson 12: In Person | Roasting and Local Resources | Sample |
Interest Form
Please complete the form below. It will add you to our call/email list. Registration is based on availability. We will reach out via e-mail and/or phone call to confirm your interest in the next available course.
If you have any questions please reach out to jenniferleon@gwu.edu.
